Hi All,Has anyone had much experience with this one?Looks interesting but have read that the lapua brass can be fiddly to size etc.I have enough projects for now but no harm in thinking about it...Accept future cost Like the idea of a wildcat without fire forming.

We don't rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training. Archilochos 680-645 BC

Had a similar one, the 260 improved with 30 degree shoulder. Just load 260 case and shoot and it would form out nice. Accurate too both fireforming and normal loads. Easy on recoil and pretty good in the wind. 2870 was the load with 140 hybrids. That wasn’t pushing it either. 2209 was choice of powder. I got away using 308 Palma cases necked down and turned but going on experience, would definitely go straight 260 and large primers. If I was going that way the 6.5SLR would be my choice. Still don’t think you can push the 6.5x47 to that level with 140’s, to me it’s a better match with 130’s.

Tim . The 6.5 SLR is a nice case and will do the job but with the intro of some new HEAVY 6.5mm bullets i would go the 260 Ackley 40deg. It has a couple grains extra capacity than the 6.5 SLR ( 55.5 vs 58)and with the New Hornady 147 ELM, Sierra 150 and Berger about to release their new 150gn as well the extra boiler room will help sling em out there. They also run the 140 class bullet with ease at 2950 and retain good barrel life. These new Heavy bullets could be just the ticket to keep those Pesky 284 shooters at bay

Tim N wrote:Hi All,Has anyone had much experience with this one?Looks interesting but have read that the lapua brass can be fiddly to size etc.I have enough projects for now but no harm in thinking about it...Accept future cost Like the idea of a wildcat without fire forming.

There are a few of us in here in S.A. with this caliber, and a couple of 6mm versions kicking around as well. So far I have put down 1350 rounds through my 6.5 SLR. I use it as my short course caliber (300-600m) and it is one of the most accurate and pleasant things to shoot. Have mainly used 140g pills and have just started playing around with the 147 ELD-M. Is has enough case capacity to drive the 147’s easily at 2850 fps with 2209. If I can get them to work I would be comfortable shooting this caliber out to 1000 for score, as on paper you would have a slight edge over a .284 driving 180g hybrids at same velocity.

The thing that attracted me to it was the cost effectiveness of shooting it. Brass can be formed from .308, .243, .260. Good selection of high B.C. bullets, Moderate powder charges 42-43g. I have been using .243 Lapua cases and apart from having to turn down an external donut after the initial sizing they have held up really well. Still using the original 100 cases and primer pockets are still nice and firm. Next lot of brass I’m thinking of using would be Lapua .260 Rem. It’s not necessary to use the expensive brass as I have seen .243 Win cases in this caliber nail it.

Gyro wrote:I would suggest the Litz G1 number for the 147 has it at 0.654 vs the 180 hybrid ( unpointed ) at 0.680 ?

I quote these numbers because it's what my recent research into this very comparison tells me.

Yeh, right. If that’s the case then the 7mm would have .4 MOA advantage in wind deflection at 1000 over the 6.5 in a 10 mph crosswind according to my ballistics calculator. Wonder if using a 7.5 twist could improve the BC of the 147’s?

It would appear to me the new hi 6.5mm BC bullets coming onto the market will definitely breathe life into all the 6.5 platforms. But for an F Open campaign you probably still won't achieve ballistic parity with the 180 grain 7mm boolits ? The gunsmiths will be most happy if you try to though !!!

What ya do get is less recoil and gun upset which to my mind matters hugely and could mean a lot of shooters may achieve 'easier' accuracy ? Cheers Rob.

Gyro wrote:It would appear to me the new hi 6.5mm BC bullets coming onto the market will definitely breathe life into all the 6.5 platforms. But for an F Open campaign you probably still won't achieve ballistic parity with the 180 grain 7mm boolits ? The gunsmiths will be most happy if you try to though !!!

What ya do get is less recoil and gun upset which to my mind matters hugely and could mean a lot of shooters may achieve 'easier' accuracy ? Cheers Rob.

You make a good point in being able to shoot more accurately with the reduced recoil of the 6.5 in comparison to heavier kicking 7mm's or 30 cal. Shooting free recoil and when I get things right this cartridge hammers. When shot at moderate velocity (around 2850 fps) you get reasonable barrel wear when compared hotter 6.5's such as 6.5-284. I've got 1350 down the tube so far and still have heaps of neck/throat to chase.

It’s my aim to burn a few 6.5x284 barrrels in my time just to say I had one!!

I personally don’t find my straight 284 with 180’s any more difficult to control or slower to shoot than my 6.5x47 shooting 130’s (note I cannot seem to master free recoil so shoot them both with a hold)

Also at the shorts the 284 doesn’t seem to stuggle with high x counts. It really makes me wonder why I play with the 6.5 at all but there is just something fun about shooting the little bullets from time to tome.